CHILLING TESTIMONY

4 years ago

Jodi Arias Victim’s Family Speaks

Arias during "victim impact statement" on May 16 in Phoenix. (Pool photo by Rob Schumacher)

Convicted murderer Jodi Arias has already made clear that she’d prefer the death penalty over life in prison for the death of her ex-boyfriend, Travis Alexander. But before the jury could determine Arias’s fate, they had to hear from a few more witnesses—including the victim's family. In a Phoenix courtroom, Thursday, Alexander’s brother, Steven, told the jury of all the problems he’s experienced since Travis was killed—including violent nightmares in which he, his wife, and his daughter are chased by someone wielding a knife. In the dream, he then sees his dead brother’s body “curled up on a shower, thrown in there, left to rot for days, all alone.” Steven’s emotional testimony, plus that of his sister, made a visible impact on the jury, who will listen to more witnesses, including Arias herself and another ex-boyfriend on Monday. Prosecutor Juan Martinez insisted, in his opening statements Thursday, that because of the brutality of the murder in question, “the only appropriate sentence ... is death.”